


tell our stories on these walls

by PuriPuki



Series: the dirt in which our roots may grow [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Accidents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:37:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8508217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuriPuki/pseuds/PuriPuki
Summary: “Good morning, Jerry! Flowers for Inigo again?” Cynthia asks him, even though she already knows the answer; he only ever buys lilacs and lilies when he’s buying flowers for Inigo.





	

The florist’s is filled with sunlight and warmth when Gerome arrives early in the morning, summer flowers filling the small shop. He picks up a bouquet of lilacs and lilies, just like Olivia had asked him to. Cynthia, a close friend even after childhood, is behind the counter and looks as peppy as ever, in spite of the impending dark circles under her eyes. 

 

“Good morning, Jerry! Flowers for Inigo again?” Cynthia asks him, even though she already knows the answer; he only ever buys lilacs and lilies when he’s buying flowers for Inigo.

 

“Yes, please don’t call me Jerry.” He sets the flowers on the counter gently, along with eighteen dollars, the price of two bouquets that’s become all too well known in these past few months. “Be gentle with them.”

 

“When am I not, silly?” Cynthia, for all her clumsiness, was ever gentle and careful with the flowers. She knew the best tricks to keep them alive for long periods of time and how to fit bouquets into bags without any damage to the flowers, especially for one of her dearest friends. “If you see Owain today, tell him Morgan and I eagerly await trivia night at the pub tonight! Oh, and give Inigo my best wishes!”

 

“I will. Thank you for the flowers,” Gerome smiles a little bit, “He’ll love them.”

  
  
  


His next stop is the bakery, on the opposite side of the city. Noire had fought tooth and nail for her hole in the wall bakery, where she created confections that no one could ever bring themselves to resist. Ever since she started baking, Inigo had adored her chocolate cakes and had always requested one as a holiday present, and had spent many hours after his practices at the bakery. 

 

She’s half asleep on her feet, but smiles at him anyways and already has a bag ready for him when he arrives. Given the rustling noises coming from behind the kitchen door, Owain is here too. Noire’s light hair looks to be only half brushed, her nose still tinged red with the remnants of a cold, and Gerome tucks away the fact that there’s a slight curve in her abdomen that wasn’t there four months ago.

 

“One slice of double chocolate for Inigo, banana bread for Olivier, and a apple muffin for you,” Noire tells him, but he already knows. He’s gotten the same thing for two years straight now, and everyone knows it. “Make sure you get some more sleep, you have bags under your eyes again.”

 

“Thank you. Maybe tonight. Oh, Cynthia asked me to tell Owain that Morgan and her are excited for the trivia night… thing. Relay the message?”

 

“Of course. Give my love to Inigo.”

The final stop on his route is his parents’ house, on the outskirts of the city. Olivier had spent the night with his grandparents, for Gerome’s sake - he always needs a night alone before their visit. Only his mother is there when he arrives, on the front porch with Minerva on her shoulder and Olivier at her side.

 

“Your father had to go in early this morning, darling.” Cherche says, but the words fall on deaf ears. Olivier, six years old, is already reaching up to be held and regaling his father with stories about what he and his grandmere and jiji did yesterday. “Olivier was wonderful as usual.”

 

“Thank you for watching him last night.” Gerome replies, muffled by Olivier’s dark hair. “Say goodbye to grandmere, Olivier”

 

“Bye-bye, grandmere! Bye-bye, Minerva!”

  
  


From the outskirts of the city, it takes an hour to drive back in. Olivier is content to chatter and fiddle with the lilacs during the drive, sparing Gerome of Olivier’s taste in music. He’s blessed to have such a well-behaved child, cheerful even when he’s stuck with his father as they try to navigate the hospital parking lot week after week (everyone thinks that he should have a hang of how to park there by now, but Gerome claims that they have no idea what kind of hell the lot is). 

 

He’s always scared that Olivier’s cheer is something like Inigo’s permanent smile, but his son always denies it and says “I’m just happy!” every time, even now.

 

The nurse at the desk waves them by, sending them on their way to the elevator. Gerome lets Olivier hold the flowers this week, and holds his hand to make sure he doesn’t trip with flowers in his face. 

 

“Did Aunt Cindy give you the flowers?”

 

“Yeah,” Gerome replies, “She always does. Aunt Noire gave me some banana bread for you too, wanna have it once we’re in the room?”

 

“Yeah!” Olivier says, a little more pep in his step. 

 

The sight of Inigo hooked up to hundreds of machines and drips was sickening the first time he saw it, after the crash ( _ Drunk driver _ , the nurse told him,  _ you’re lucky you weren't with him. It's a miracle your son is alive. _ ). Henry and Olivia visit on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, sometimes the weekends. He makes the effort to bring Olivier to see him at least every week, sometimes more if his son wants.

 

The stomach drop Gerome gets at the sight of the ventilator has lessened over the years, but hits him particularly hard today. Inigo’s nurse, a bright young woman named Denise, tells him that Inigo is the same as always - lots of brain activity, which is a good sign, but hasn’t woken up yet. He holds Olivier up so he can put the new lilacs and lilies in the vase, before settling into their routine.

 

They sit at Inigo’s bedside for at least an hour, updating him on their lives. Olivier talks about his friends at kindergarten and how his night with grandmere was and how he can’t wait for his papa to see how big he’s gotten. Gerome will tell him about how well Inigo’s parents are and how their friends are, conspire with Olivier to get a new puppy. Before they go, they’ll eat their banana bread and apple muffin and set the chocolate cake on the side table (Gerome knows that after they leave, Denise has to throw away the cake, but it’s good for Olivier, he thinks).

 

Gerome presses one light kiss onto Inigo’s forehead before following Olivier out the door and down the hall. If anyone notices the slightest twitch in Inigo’s left hand, they don’t say anything.


End file.
